The Warlord dragged Asla a little further away, wanting to sit down with his daughter and catch up with everything that had been going on in her life. There had been a time when they had been so close. When she had had a means to watch the stars above the den, and the countless hours they had spent in the plains at night. She’d been an adult in her own right for so long, but he couldn’t help but look at her and still see the child she’d been. Perhaps that was the indulgence of a father, but he’d be careful not to let it show. Least he risk pushing away this chance to reconcile.

“So… tell me about the little one. Will she know me as grandpa?” He asked softly, getting straight to one of the most important questions.


"Earth" & "Stars"

Sirius motioned for Asla to follow him away from the group and the fawn woman did so without hesitation. He'd cared enough to call them all here, so she wouldn't disappoint him in this. They didn't go terribly far from everyone else and happy voices could be heard conversing and laughing from where the pair rested in the Col.

Her father's question made one brow arch curiously as she looked up at the giant man. "Of course she will. No matter our differences, we're still family." She wouldn't deny Aia the right to know her grandfather and other family, nor would she deny Sirius the right to know his granddaughter. She had dropped the Fatalis name and had made Indarra her own, but they were still family.

Aslatiel sighed, taking on the first part of her father's query. "Indigo lost an entire litter of pups while he was leading his band. It absolutely destroyed him. You wouldn't even have recognized him, Dad." The striped fae gave her head a shake, galactic eyes widening a moment. "I thought he was going to wither away and die. So I took a little vacation, found a brute with similar coloring, and I gave him Aia." Then she smiled and shrugged. "I've never seen him happier in my life. I may have given her life, but she is very much his daughter."

"Aslatiel Indarra"

There was relief in the Warlord's expression, though he kept it subtle. No matter where the years had taken them, he did not want to lose Asla. Wanted to be a part of her life, and the lives of any children she brought to this world. “We are” He agreed softly. Asla was his little girl. His star-child.

When Asla started to speak of Indigo, his eyes widened, and he stared at Asla in shock. He had heard nothing of this. He had wondered what had happened to Indys band. Everything had seemed promising, and then fallen apart. Now he knew why. He knew how loss could destroy. “I’m glad he found something to hold onto” he said softly. He would have to pull Indy aside as well, and speak to him. To hear from his son how he was truly doing. “You know if the two of you ever need anything. A place to stay, temporary or as long as you please, you can come home. There will always be a home for you, wherever I am.” I love you he thought, looking at Asla, and wondering what else he had missed in their lives.


"Earth" & "Stars"

The shock was written across her father's face clear as day when she told him of Indigo's loss. It had been a horrible time, but she'd gotten him through it. Giving him Aia had been the greatest gift she could ever give the formerly broken man. Nothing could replace the pups lost, but the tiny purple girl had definitely patched up the hole within him.

Sirius went on to offer them a home once more and Asla merely sighed and smiled. "I appreciate it, Dad. We're very happy in Valta, helping Kotori secure his place. Even Arc and Tira decided to join." Asla shook her head, eyes widening for a moment. "Arc has a girlfriend... She's nice. It's hard to watch your
children grow up and not need you anymore." Was that her way of giving the man some sort of apology? Perhaps. "I love you, Dad. No matter how hot tempered I get, I'll always love you. I just want you to know that."

"Aslatiel Indarra"

The Warlord gave a soft chuckle at her sigh. “I just have to make sure you know the offer is there, sweetheart” He pointed out. He had no intention of attempting to uplift her from the life she had created. When she spoke of her own children, he gave a knowing nod. “I’d say it's one of the hardest parts of being a parent” he agreed. A part of him would always yearn for the days they had been little and under paw.

His expression softened further at her declaration of love. He leaned forward and kissed her brow, pressing a paw gently across her fur, smoothing it. “I love you, too, little Asla.” He paused, leaning back again. "So your... happy?" He asked cautiously.

"Earth" & "Stars"

Of course her father could understand how difficult it was to watch children grow up. He'd done it twice so far and was in the process of doing it again. It wasn't easy to watch them turn into adults and it definitely wasn't easy to send them out into the world, that was for sure. Yet, as she had taught her own father, you had to let go at some point.

Sirius leaned in and placed a kiss to her brow and suddenly Aslatiel was that small pup again, watching the stars with her father through the looking glass that he'd found for her. She felt... shame. Grey ears tucked back against her skull as he asked if she was happy. Asla nodded silently, then released a long sigh and shook her head. "I'm sorry to have been such a brat, Dad. I just felt so overlooked and I was so angry back then. It felt like, no matter what I did, Azure was the golden child and he was all that mattered." Then she laughed softly, the grin on her maw pulling at the scars on her face. The very scars that she'd received protecting their home. "He's a bit of a dick, isn't he." It wasn't really a question. "I'm sure he hates me now for confronting his fish wife." Asla shrugged lightly. "Can't please everyone."

"Earth" & "Stars"

The Warlord chuckled softly, looking at the small, fierce wolf before him. “You were learning and growing, Asla. And I’m honoured to know the wolf you’ve grown into.” Letting go could be hard, and he was well aware that for the first few pups that had left. He had held on too tightly. “We all make mistakes, and all we can do is learn from them.” As he had done. An old wolf now, he understood the value in letting his children learn for themselves.

“Azure… has had a lot to learn himself, as well. He’s come a long way since taking over leadership. I think he would surprise you, as well, if you gave him a chance” He said, wondering how much forgiveness there was to go around. He would have his children comfortable visiting home any time, if he could.


"Earth" & "Stars"

Sirius seemed to accept her apology and brushed it off as a learning experience. As he soothed her guilt, Asla sighed again and nodded, accepting his words of wisdom. She missed being with her father. Even when she had been angry with him, she missed him. Never had she thought that he would call them all home.

The topic shifted to Azure and Aslatiel chuckled again. "I'm over petty squabbles. I'm not sure that he's willing to speak with me, however." One shoulder raised in a half shrug. "If he can forget my words, I'll forget his. I'll never like Hanako though and he needs to accept that." The woman was deplorable. Always had been. You couldn't like everyone and she was one of the ones that Asla honestly didn't like.

"Earth" & "Stars"

The Warlord didn’t know what had transpired between them, but he’d placed his words in the hope they’d lodge their way into her thoughts. Either she and her brother would talk it out, or they wouldn’t. At least Asla felt comfortable visiting home now. “I can’t speak for him” was all he said in regards to what Azure thought. He hadn’t heard his sons thoughts on Asla, but he remembered them being close when they were younger.

He sighed at her mention of Hanako. Ever since they had moved North, Hanako had been different. Perhaps Sparrow had much to do with that. “I want to hear more about you. Do you still watch the stars, Asla? What's your new territory like?” he asked, trying to get a glimpse into her life.


"Earth" & "Stars"

Her father wanted to know more about her and about her life in Valta. He asked if she still watched the stars and Asla gave a sad little smile and shook her head. "There hasn't been time with raising three kids, keeping Indigo in one piece and protecting packs." Her interests had shifted. She had perfected her fighting style and was an incredible hunter. The stars had been left behind. Yes, she still found them beautiful, but they no longer held the same allure that they had when she was a pup.

Sirius asked about Valta and Aslatiel couldn't help but laugh. "Well, Kotori chose to claim the falls, which is where I almost died that one time and Naiche had to bring me back home." At the mention of Naiche, the woman's laughter died and her brows drew together. "Dad, I-" she began, grimacing and looking up to meet her father's blue eyes with her own galactic pools. "I'm the one that ended Naiche's life." Her father was the first and only one to learn the secret that she'd been keeping all this time. "He was dying, suffering. I ended his life to save him from a slow death. No one else knows." What would her father think of her act of mercy? Would he see it as such?

"Earth" & "Stars"